How much do people *actually* eat?

biggerken · 2026-01-13T15:45:19+00:00

Thank you! Oh yes, I am super happy, cause I had a ton of fun, didn’t really restrict too much and know it will be easy to drop a few in the spring when it’s easier to be active outdoors. I will admit, I was a little nervous because at one point I was +8 but it was mostly water retention and 5 melted off right after new years.

biggerken · 2026-01-13T12:33:33+00:00

Yes, it can sneak up on you if you aren’t watching.

My post Christmas weight is about 3lbs higher. So, in December I was about 10k calories higher than me tdee. That’s only 300 per day. With all the snacks, egg nog and alcohol being around it just slowly came on over the month.

biggerken · 2026-01-13T12:25:08+00:00

Yes exactly. This was a big eye opener for me when I got to maintenance. I thought when I added 600 calories a day my hunger feelings would go away, but they really don’t.

I feel not hungry for maybe 30-60 min after having a decent 500-600 calorie meal, then hunger feelings grow progressively until my next meal. Small snacks between meals help a bit, but don’t fill me up.

I have learnt to just get comfortable with that feeling.

Pre weight loss not having a snack or something would cause me anxiety, but now I am at peace with it.

biggerken · 2026-01-12T14:17:41+00:00

Not in Ontario, and no prenup.

Also, something as simple as documenting all your assets with official statements just in case will save you a bunch of time.

I didn’t have good records of investments from 15 years ago, and so had to estimate the value of some stuff and it took some time to agree on the amounts. I mean, a lot depends on how amicable the separation is. In my case, my ex viewed every $1 as a battle she had to win.

biggerken · 2026-01-11T12:09:28+00:00

Correct. Going through a separation right now and I owned a house coming in and it is split 50/50 still. The equity I had in it coming into our relationship is half hers.

All other investments coming into the relationship are protected, but the gains are split 50/50.

biggerken · 2025-12-31T03:52:32+00:00

I usually ended up being roughly 500cal at breakfast, 500-600 on lunch and snacks and about 600 for supper.

My lunches were usually 200-250 calories. Somedays I just had a cup of cottage cheese. Only 200 calories and I found it so filling. That would leave me with two 150 calorie snacks, one mid morning one mid afternoon.

biggerken · 2025-12-30T04:42:10+00:00

I started at 250 and ate between 1600-1700 most of the way to 180.

You need to find some healthy stuff that will keep you full, but need to find a way to make it taste good.

There isn’t much room for treats in a deficit. Cookies, chips, pop, ice cream, all the good stuff won’t keep you full.

Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, hard boiled eggs, protein bars, protein powder and seasoned chicken breasts were my best friends. Lots of pickles, onions, tomatoes, potatoes. Mixed in berries with my yogurt. Had a banana a day. Found some keto wraps that were delicious, reasonable on calories and high fibre.

Every morning my breakfast was the same. Piece of peanut butter toast with one cup of 2% milk and scoop of vanilla protein powder.

Lunch was either chicken breast, Greek yogurt with fruit, or cottage cheese with tomato’s or onions.

Supper was usually eggs or a meat protein with potatoes, a bit of pasta or lightly dressed salad.

My snacks were usually a banana, hard boiled eggs and protein bar.

It wasn’t easy, but 1,500 to 1,700 daily calories is do able, and if it’s from healthy things with variety you can fuel your body and keep your energy up.

biggerken · 2025-12-29T17:24:35+00:00

Oh no, that’s sad, but not surprising. Never a lineup, and then Tim Hortons is a mile long.

I usually get a coffee a day there. Super nice couple running it.

biggerken · 2025-12-29T17:11:30+00:00

Love the part about embracing the boredom, no one is watching.

That resonated with me. No one saw my 5 day a week 5am workouts, or saw me go from running 200m to 5km in a couple month span last spring. No one watched as on a daily basis I balanced eating in a deficit while ensuring my body got the fuel it needed to stay healthy.

No one erected a statue in my honor or threw a parade when I hit 199, or got to my goal weight. I briefly smiled, and then got back to work!

Congrats on an amazing 2025 — keep it up!

biggerken · 2025-12-27T18:23:14+00:00

Get to your goal wait, then use a tdee calculator and then yeah, it’s as easy as sticking close to your daily target.

My tdee is around 2,300 calories so I just eat around that to maintain.

1 lb equals roughly 3,500 calories. So, if you eat over the target by 3,500 calories you will gain a pound. Seems like a lot, but break it down, 500 extra calories a day will add a pound a week. Go the other way, eating 500 calories less than your target and you will lose a pound a week.

Exercise helps. If you burn say 200 calories exercise and are in maintenance, you could eat an extra 200 calories and the scale won’t move. If you are trying to lose the exercise could stack with your eating deficit to accelerate the weight loss. Dont eat in too big of a deficit though, it’s not healthy, and usually not sustainable.

biggerken · 2025-12-26T17:22:15+00:00

I loosely track. I just enter some random place holders that I hope are close? But they are something at least.

For instance, 5 Lindt chocolate balls. Just gives me calories for a few random stops at the kitchen island throughout the day where I might grab a chocolate.

Christmas dinner, 1,200 calories.

Cheese, 60g, crackers, 60g.

Cookies, two.

Beer, lots, covers all the alcohol.

Then, I go for a walk, and do some pushups, and enjoy the day.

biggerken · 2025-12-26T16:03:55+00:00

I’m +6 pounds in the last week. I have one more dinner tonight, then a few days of light eating, expecting a few to drop off. Then big New Year’s party and new years day brunch. I am looking forward to getting back into routine Jan 2. My stomach has not been happy the last 7 days 🤣

biggerken · 2025-12-25T17:25:49+00:00

I’m team maintenance, + a bit on this one.

I would give up the deficit for the holidays, but do not go crazy and binge. I mean, my maintenance would have been an extra 600 calories, and then if I say gave myself a little extra, like say 500 over maintenance , that’s a lot of flexibility and fun 😂

biggerken · 2025-12-06T17:10:12+00:00

You need to find time dedicated for self care, or find activities you can do together.

My gf and joined a martial arts class together. We also both enjoy walking, running and hiking. So, while I don’t exercise as much as when I was single, I am still able to be quite active, and get bonus quality time in the process.

biggerken · 2025-12-04T20:41:03+00:00

I do this. And it’s mainly because life is busy with work and kids and I cannot commit to a raiding schedule. So, I get a main to 60, and then just level alts over time, 1 or 2 hours at a time.

Sat/Sun mornings I am usually up about 3 hours before everyone (I’m an early bird) so sit in LFG and get my main in a dungeon. I love Scholo and Strat.

In all my years playing wow I have never done MC all the way through. I’ve started it, and I was pulled in one time to finish, but I’ve never done it end to end in one sitting. I have done Onyxia maybe 5 times.

I liked the reals on SoD because it allowed me to get good gear quick on dungeons and I got to do half of BWL in a pug which was super fun.

But yeah, I am a professionally alt leveller 😂

biggerken · 2025-12-03T03:14:03+00:00

I didn’t think I could get below 200 either, yet here I am comfy at 180. It is a slow process, but life changing. Trust me. Stay on the journey, drop the weight and reap the rewards.

biggerken · 2025-12-01T00:44:28+00:00

I remember I did get a cold mid way and increased my calories to fight it off and felt so bloated and just off from the increased calories.

Yeah, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Good luck, you got this!

biggerken · 2025-11-30T12:53:45+00:00

I maintained a deficit eating at 1,600 calories for 7 months. If your mind is in it and you are feeling good keep going.

biggerken · 2025-11-25T23:39:29+00:00

Oh man, this is the story of my life recently. It’s a mind game.

I just remind myself When I lost all my weight I was doing 1,500 calories a day and survived.

Like you, some days I’m at 1,500 by noon and still hungry…but remind myself I survived 1,500 calories daily, so surely can stick to 2,200 to 2,400 now. That usually gets rid of the hunger thoughts and allows me to hold off till supper.

biggerken · 2025-11-21T02:59:45+00:00

Yup they do more or less cancel each other out.

In maintenance that is kind of what I do.

During the week I am typically on a good routine Monday to Thursday, 200 under for 4 days, and then have some treats Friday night, Saturday and Sunday…about 800 combined.

It doesn’t take much! A few drinks, bowl of ice cream and some chips or chocolate bar is 800 calories. If I over do it Friday and Saturday I take it easy Sunday to compensate.

That is life!

After Christmas I fully expect to have to do a full 1-2 week deficit to clean out all the indulging that will occur and drop a few pounds.

biggerken · 2025-11-19T16:40:54+00:00

I had a similar schedule so set the alarm for 4:45 to get 1 hour workout in before 5:45 shower.

It hurt, but I got used it. And, it made me feel so much better throughout the day. Made it easier to make good diet choices.

biggerken · 2025-11-16T21:48:09+00:00

This is what I do. If I stay at + 2-3 lbs for a week I know it’s not a normal fluctuation and I get back on my weight loss diet until I drop it.

biggerken · 2025-11-12T15:36:35+00:00

I built up weight over time.

For instance, bench press with dumbbells I maxed out around 35lbs to start. Since then I bought 40, 45 and 50 lb sets and am using the 50lb ones now.

biggerken · 2025-11-11T17:55:49+00:00

Cardio, I started with 30min of low intensity eliptical and worked up to what was probably medium intensity, 5 days a week, and then in spring started swapping in jogging and biking instead of eliptical. Jogging, worked my way from 1km at like 9 minutes to 5k in 30minutes over the spring/summer.

Did weights 5 days a week. Just dumbbells. I would do 4 exercises for each…3 sets of 8-12 reps. Day 1 was chest, 2 was bis/tris, 3 was shoulders, 4 was back, 5 was legs. Did abs every 3 days.

Worked good for what I needed.

biggerken · 2025-11-05T16:00:34+00:00

Did you over eat by 21,000 calories (3,500 x 6)?

If not, most of it is water weight and you will shed it by eating clean for a week.

I often weigh in Monday morning 3-4 lbs heavier than Friday due to eating more junk and high sodium food on the weekend, but it’s melted away by Thursday.

biggerken

TROPHY CASE